There was a large turnout last week for the Fort Bragg Guild’s potluck and membership event at the hall in Ingelnook.

After the National Grange revoked the California State Grange Charter, issues involving leadership of the newly formed California State Grange, the California Guild and the National Grange have yet to play out.

As legal battles continue over who has control of the California granges, local members are in the process of responding to the changes with two differing groups. Each group claims ownership of the Fort Bragg Grange.

More than 55 people showed up for the April 12 meeting of the Fort Bragg Guild with overflow parking in their adjacent field. The event was open to the local community.

Spirited discussions were held during the potluck segment of the meeting. Existing members renewed memberships with the local Guild and new members signed on prior to the general discussion.

The Fort Bragg Guild gave an update about actions taken by the National Grange, the local Guild’s current status, and steps the Guild has taken to keep operations flowing.

Guild member Bruce Broderick talked about the recent lock-out (see story in April 6 edition). He said, “After the National Grange revoked the California State Grange Charter, the National Grange strengthened its bylaws with language that enables them to take over property and have tighter control over local Granges via the new California State Grange under the new leadership of Ed Komski. But they lost legal clout when they cut off California State Grange and tried to get it back with starting a new California State Grange.”

Pomona system

Broderick and Fort Bragg Guild officers took turns explaining the latest series of events and how the California Grange Pomona system enabled Komski’s appointment.

According to the California Grange website, the Grange as an organization has five distinct levels: the parent National Grange headquartered in Washington, D.C., and the State, Pomona, Subordinate and Junior granges.

It was stated that, “The recent lock-out was the first interruption of the monthly Grange breakfast in many, many years.”

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Broderick also said, “There was no break-away, the California State Granges were divorced.”

Jim Britt, Fort Bragg Guild vice president, said, “The scary thing is Komski has not had a relationship with us. Komski has been threatening granges around the state with, if they don’t play along, the Grange and National has rights to take away their granges. The National Grange broke its links with California when National revoked the Charter.”

Questions and answers from the audience included how to keep the Fort Bragg Guild protected.

Debbie Baron, Fort Bragg Guild secretary, said, “Our Fort Bragg hall has been going through a lot lately. The lock-down forced our officers to unite and go into emergency executive session. It had to change the corporation’s name to be in sync with what it has been all along, a chapter of the California Guild, so it could continue to do business without violating any federal court trademark rulings. Those rulings state that a Guild chapter cannot do business as a Grange. But, although the Executive Committee expedited the name change and updated our documents with it, the motion is still in place to have a vote by the membership on whether or not to disaffiliate from the California Guild and to affiliate with the newly chartered California State Grange, whose president is Edward Komski.”

Patricia Marien, who has been a member, attended the meeting to renew her membership, with the grange now known as the Fort Bragg Guild. Marien said when interviewed, “I believe in the practices of which this Guild functions under and I wish to be part of this group of people who want to keep our earth healthy by exercising organic farming practices. I am thrilled there is such a great turn out tonight and I am happy to begin this adventure with the California Guild.”

Mike Ott, of the Mendocino Alcohol Fuel Group, a member of the Fort Bragg Guild who also showed up as a member, said, “This is a right-on group of people supporting the Guild and standing up against the National Grange. I am totally proud of them. “

Baron, said after a follow-up executive meeting, “Our members have been sent invoices for 2017 membership dues. Paying those dues by April 30, 2017 will establish one’s intent to continue their membership with our organization, now known as the Fort Bragg Guild, a chapter of the California Guild. One of the reasons why our members have been guarding our hall is not only to protect it from further intrusion, but also to give its membership the right to vote on the Grange vs Guild matter and not have the decision made for it by a hostile corporate lock-down or an emergency executive order. Ongoing members in 2017 who were also members in 2016 will be allowed to vote on this issue.”

Next meeting

According to Baron, “The next Fort Bragg Guild Membership and Officers Business meeting is on May 15 at the hall, soon to be renamed, the Inglenook Guild Hall, from 6:to 8 p.m. At the meeting, the membership will be asked when it wants to have a vote.”

Baron said, “If the Fort Bragg Guild wins the vote, then it will have won fair and square. If the Fort Bragg Guild loses the vote, then it will concede and it will not lock down the hall, throw out the members, nor attempt to reorganize it with only those members favorable to it.”

Baron added, “The vote is a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ choice. A vote of ‘no’ means we stay the same, a chapter of the California Guild. A vote of ‘yes’ means we leave the organization with which we have been affiliated for 68 years, since 1949, and join another organization newly incorporated in 2014, now going by the name of California State Grange, which, by the way, used to be the name of the California Guild before the Federal Court trademark ruling. It is a little like a kid whose parents have divorced and that kid has to say it wants to leave Mom and go live with Dad.” Baron said that understanding this is critical.

Don Peerless, the executive director of the local group working under the auspices of the California State Grange, did not respond before press time to requests for updates.